Clothes-line.



w. J. WALSH.

CLOTHES LINE. APPLICATION FILED APB..22,1910.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

ATTORNEYS W/ T NE 385 8:

THE NORRIS PETERS 2a., vmsumcrnu, n cy faAiviEs wiiIlsH,

-. $03 1.5 ime I RBQW '10 allwitom'ttmay concem: 1:

Be it known that LWVILLIAMJ. l/VALsH,

- a subject of the King of GreatBritain, re- I specification.

siding in Jersey .City, county of Hudson,; and State of New Jersey, have invented ceri tain new and useful Improvements; in, Clothes-Lines, of. which the-followingis a? The main object. of. this invention is to provide asimple and easily operated .line :reel thatmay be used as a clothes line reel, or'as a hoisting device. i

Another object of the invention is to provide-aline reel ofsimple constructionwhich may be easily operated, the line drums being within a suitable housing to protect them and the line-thereon. i s

A further-object ofqthe invention is to provideuneans:whereby the two' winding reels may be disconnected fromteach other in orderzto take up orlet. out slack inxthe line.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sidee'levation of.' the device applied as a. clothes line reel." Fig. 2 a vertical sectional "view of the reels and the housing therefor. Fig. 8 a side elevation of the reel housing and the operating gearing; and Fig. 4 a front elevation of the housing showing the reels and. driving gears in position thereon.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the reel housing which is provided with lugs 2 by means of which it may be fastened to the side of a house or other suitable support. The top of the housing is downwardly and outwardly inclined to shed rain and moisture. The outer side of the housing is closed by a plate 2*, suitable slots being formed therein to permit the line to pass into and out of the housing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Extending across the housing, that is to say, from side to side thereof, are two parallel reel shafts 3 and 4, said shafts being properly and suitably journaled in the sides of the housing, and being provided within the housing with any suitable means for permitting the ends of the line to be secured thereto.

The reel shafts are hollow, and in the end of the shaft 3 is inserted a short plug 10, said plug being longitudinally slidable and one of its ends projecting beyond the end of the shaft and having a head 11. On the shaft 3 is slidably mounted a gear 3 which normally meshes with a similar gear 4 secured to the shaft 4. The shaft 3 is slotted specification r Letters Patent.

re ames teena e.-As m -oa-nt3eari Q through 'the h-ub of the gear,-through-,said slot and through-the plug 10, is-a pin 13, said pin securing the gear to the plug and also t0 the shaft 3, .so that it wil-lturn there- ;with. Rigidly secured to the end "of the shaft 3 isa crank 9, and between the hub of I said crank and the hu'b'of the gear 3 is arranged a coil spring 14, said spring normally holding the pin 13 against the inner wall of the slot 12, and the gear 3 in mesh 1 with the gear 4. In order to disconnect the gears 3- and 4 thehead 11 may be grasped and the plug 10"and the gear 3 drawn outwardly against the tension of the spring '14. When it is desired to havesaid gears reengageeach other, it is-only necessary to release the plug 10.' When the-gears are disconnected, the line shafts or reels may be independently rotated'rfor the. purpose of tak ing up-or letting out slack in. the line; -The gears Fit-and li -are of equal-diameter whereby the reels may bedriven at-.the same speed and in opposite directions. At a'ssuitable distance from the reel housing is arranged a support 5 to which is connected a'pulley block-or sheave 6. One end of a line 8' is fastened to one of the reels, for instance, reel 3, and is then carried out and around the pulley or sheave 6. The surplus length of line is now wound upon the shaft to which said line is connected, and the other end of the line is then secured to reel 4. By gearing the two reels together so that they rotate in opposite directions, it will be seen that when the line is wound upon reel 4, it will be unwound from reel 3, and the reverse.

On the outer side of the housing and in a convenient position to engage the teeth of the wheels 3 and 4 are pawls 3 and 4 said pawls being adapted to be thrown out of engagementwith their respective gears, and to rest against stops 7 hen the pawl 4 is out of engagement with gear 4 said gear may be rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and with the line arranged as shown in said figure, it will be wound upon the reel 4 and unwound from reel 3. It is clear from Fig. 3 that the pawl 3* will slip over the teeth or gear 3 during this operationof the device. When it is desired to rewind the line on the upper reel 3, it is necessary to first throw the pawl 4 into engagement with its gear, 4 and to then throw out longitudinally, .as at 12, aridv of engagement the pawl 3" from its gear 3 lhe direction of rotation of the gear and the attached shaft or reel may be reversed, and

the upper reel driven in such manner as to rewind the line thereon. When it is desired to hold the line, both pawls are thrown into engagement with their gears.

are secured to the lower portion of the line I 8 and as they are fastened thereto the gears are operate to carry that: portion of the line and article away from the operator to provide space for additional articles. In removing the articles after they are dried the operatlon of the gears is reversed.

When used as a hoisting device, of course, the hoisting will be in a hi her position than the support 5 and by attachingthe rope 8 to the article to be hoisted, the same may be readily and easily elevated by operating the gears as hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l 1. A line reel comprising a support, a pair of shafts mounted. therein,;a gear slidably mounted on the end of one of said shafts but arranged to turn therewith, means for moving the slidable gear said gears intermeshing whereby the said shafts will be rotated in opposite directions, a pawl adapted to engage each of said gears, and an operating crank adapted to be connected to the shaft on which the slidable gear is mounted.

2. Aline reel compr sing a support, a pair of shafts therein, a longitudinally movable plug in the end'of one of said'shafts and pro ecting beyond the end thereof, a gear slidably ,mounted on said shaft, a similar gear mounted on the other shaft, said gears intermeshing, means for rigidly connecting the slidable gear to said plug whereby the plug, the gear, and the shaft will be secured together for rotation, a pawl for each of said gears, and an operating crank adapted to be fitted to the shaft on which the slidable gear is mounted. 3. A line reel comprising a support, a pair of shafts therein, a longitudinally movable plug in the end of one of said shafts and prO ecting beyond the end thereof, a gear slidably mounted on said shaft, .a similar gear mounted on the other shaft, said gears intermeshing, means for rigidly connecting the slidable gear to said plug whereby the plug, the gear, and the shaft will be secured together for rotation, a pawl for each of said gears, an operating crank adapted to be fitted to the shaft on which the slidable gear is mounted and a spring interposed between said gear and said crank to hold the gears normally in mesh.

This specification signed and witnessed this 9th day of April A. D. 1910.

WILLIAM JAMES WALSH.

Witnesses:

L. I. MAYER, LESTER O. TAYLOR. 

